Steven Wright

Steven Wright - - the man with the monotone. A prototype comedian that others are sure to follow. His delivery is deadpan, his manner stoic, and he's the hottest act to catch today, if you can find him when he momentarily lapses into reality. In appearance, Wright's lifestyle hasn't changed much although his career has taken off.

In a shorter time than most, Wright expanded his comedy collection to include an album, video, film and television appearances. His 1986 debut album, I Have A Pony, earned him a Grammy nomination and nods from the music industry. He quickly followed this with several video showcases on HBO including his own special, On Location: Steven Wright, he took part in the Young Comedian's Special, with Robin Williams, Richard Belzer, Harry Anderson and Howie Mandel. In 1989, Steven Wright was awarded an Academy Award for writing and starring in the short film, The Appointments of Dennis Jennings.

It seems obvious that comedians are the people to watch in the entertainment industry as they cross over to all mediums with success. ABC paid comics their long overdue tribute by hosting the ABC Comedy Awards. PBS did their honors with a half hour comedy anthology series starring Steven Wright, Tim Matheson and Catherine O'Hara.

Steven's talents also grace the big screen; in the 1986 blockbuster Desperately Seeking Susan, and the Columbia Pictures' film, Stars & Bars, starring Daniel Day Lewis and Harry Dean Stanton. Steven's meteoric rise to success began like the story of every other comedian. After graduating from Emerson College and holding a bevy of odd jobs, Steven attended an "open mike" audition and became a regular performer at Ding Ho's Comedy Club and Chinese restaurant in Cambridge, MA. However, that is where all similarity ends. When Tonight Show producer Peter LaSally, saw the young Boston comic's unique style, he immediately booked Wright's first appearance with Johnny Carson. That August 1982 guest shot generated such enthusiasm, Steven was asked to return one week later, a phenomenon that had not been achieved by an unknown in over ten years.

His back-to-back appearances with the king of late night television put his fledgling career into high gear. The dour comedian soon found himself performing his off-beat routines on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, and numerous trips back to visit Johnny on the Tonight Show.

September 1990 Steven Wright stars in a special for HBO. The special is part stand-up from the Wintergarden Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, and a short film shot on-location in New York and New Jersey.